Benefits of gardening with children: keys to starting the little ones in caring for plants

Do you know all the benefits of gardening for children? Here we explain them + ideas to start

They develop their love for nature.

They learn values.

And above all, they have a great time.

For children (and the not so young), taking care of plants is an activity with many advantages. 

And of course, you will also enjoy it much more if you have one or two little helpers lending you a hand.

That is why this article.

Here we are going to explain the main benefits of gardening with children. Also, at the end we will give you some tips to get started, whatever their age. 

Put on your gloves, let's get started.

Why should you garden with children? These are all its advantages

In a previous article, we have talked about the many benefits of gardening, especially for adults.

But for children, caring for plants can be a wonderful addition to their education.

We explain why.

1. They learn to have responsibilities

One of the first things children learn is that a plant is not a toy.

It is a living being that must be held responsible. They have to remember to water it, make sure it gets enough sun…

By taking care of their own plants, they learn to be constant and responsible. 

2. It teaches them to be patient

Today, we are used to having everything instantly. We order a package from Amazon, and it arrives the next day; you call to order food and in 30 minutes you have it at home.

So sometimes it's okay for children to learn that not everything in life is so fast and that sometimes the rewards are slow to come.

And for that, there are no better teachers than plants.

A plant will not germinate faster no matter how much we want, nor will it bloom out of its season.

By taking care of them, children understand that there are things that take time, effort and patience, but that in the end, the reward is worth it.

3. Grow its self-esteem

Gardening has been shown to increase self-esteem in both children and adults. 

And for the little ones, this is especially important. If they realize from a young age that they are capable of taking care of another living being, this will make them gain self-confidence and be more independent.

4. Improve its health

Children live more and more glued to screens (even at school!).

Therefore, from time to time it is very healthy for them to be in direct contact with nature. And it is proven that gardening improves health, because:

• They spend more time in the sun.
• They relax and have fun.
• Your immune system gets stronger.

Do you need more reasons to give them a shovel and gloves?

5. They eat vegetables more comfortably

For many children, vegetables are "those green things that taste very bad and that comes from the supermarket".

But if you grow your own vegetables in your garden, that will make your children much more willing to eat them.

After all, they will have cultivated them themselves.

3 ideas to start the little ones in gardening

Are you already clear that you want to start your children in the care of plants?

Before you start, it is important that you establish some minimum standards. 

At the end of the day, they have to take it seriously, because they are dealing with living things, and they have to be responsible (plants still need to be watered even though they have holidays at school).

But of course, that does not mean that there is no room for fun.

1. Start with the simple tasks

There are many tasks suitable for the little ones to become familiar with plants.

For example, you can let them:

• Sow the seeds.
• Water the plants.
• Dig a hole to plant a new plant.
• Help you get the soil out of the pots to change them.

If they are older, they can also help you with tasks such as pruning, for example.

2. Let them experiment

There will be times, especially if you have very young children when the only thing they want to do is have fun.

Dig a hole just for the sake of it, poke through the hedges… And that's okay, too.

After all, it's not about making gardening just another after-school activity, it's about having fun and getting to know plants as naturally as possible.

3. Imagination to power

Another very interesting idea if your children have an artistic streak.

For example, many will love to decorate the pots with original ideas (here are some ideas), make a simple birdbath...

Or they can paint figures on cardboard and hide them around the garden.

Thus, a flower bed can be a magical forest where a city of gnomes and fairies hides.

Join their games and you will see how in nothing they end up as in love with plants as you.

Are you going to put these tips into practice and enjoy gardening with your children?

If you do, we'd love to hear about your experiences in the comments.

We are sure that the little ones will enjoy it very much.

And remember that if you have questions about how to take care of the plants in your garden, you can contact us here.